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jrd1234 · 03-20-2018, 06:45 PM

Hi,

I have a doubt on the last HP 12c I bought.
Is it possible to have a fake here ?

Thanks for advice.

kind regards,
DJ

Don Shepherd · 03-21-2018, 04:52 AM

(03-20-2018 06:45 PM)jrd1234 Wrote: Hi,

I have a doubt on the last HP 12c I bought.
Is it possible to have a fake here ?

Thanks for advice.

kind regards,
DJ

Looks legit to me. Why do you suspect it?

jrd1234 · 03-21-2018, 06:44 AM

;-) Because of the .... Url !
no internet in that time then I have doubt ! Except of course in case of reedition but curious.

Maximilian Hohmann · (This post was last modified: 03-21-2018 10:48 AM by Maximilian Hohmann.)

Hello!

I have never heard of a fake HP-12C. There are various clones around but they all look different enough from the original that you can immediately tell the difference. The one in your pictures has an HP badge and HP lettering. I have never seen anything like that in any of the clones. However if it should turn out to be a fake I will be happy to pay a very good price for it. A fake HP-12C that looks so close to the original must be worth a lot more than the original itself :-)

Regards
Max

pier4r · 03-21-2018, 11:25 AM

(03-21-2018 06:44 AM)jrd1234 Wrote: ;-) Because of the .... Url !
no internet in that time then I have doubt ! Except of course in case of reedition but curious.

the 12c is still produced or at least was produced until very recently.

http://www.hpmuseum.org/forum/thread-10327.html

Dieter · 03-21-2018, 12:23 PM

(03-21-2018 06:44 AM)jrd1234 Wrote: ;-) Because of the .... Url !
no internet in that time then I have doubt ! Except of course in case of reedition but curious.

No reedition – just a calculator that is still sold today. You have a late version that was manufactured in China. It also uses one CR2032 battery (3 V) while the original version took three LR44 button cells (1,5 V each).

Yes, the 12C indeed was/is in production from 1981 until now.

Dieter

Massimo Gnerucci · 03-21-2018, 12:30 PM

(03-21-2018 06:44 AM)jrd1234 Wrote: ;-) Because of the .... Url !
no internet in that time then I have doubt ! Except of course in case of reedition but curious.

A single coin cell China made edition.
More about this.

TheKaneB · 03-21-2018, 04:22 PM

Longest running production of any digital product I believe Smile

grsbanks · 03-21-2018, 07:30 PM

(03-21-2018 04:22 PM)TheKaneB Wrote: Longest running production of any digital product I believe

That wouldn't surprise me in the least.

It's been in production in one form or another since 1981, so that's not far short of 40 years, although it can be argued that a present day 12C is a completely different beast to the original 1981 version.

Don Shepherd · 03-21-2018, 08:25 PM

(03-21-2018 07:30 PM)grsbanks Wrote: ... although it can be argued that a present day 12C is a completely different beast to the original 1981 version.

I wouldn't say that. Other than a much faster processor, today's version is functionally equivalent to the 1981 version. That is the reason it is still popular with the financial types.

grsbanks · 03-21-2018, 09:56 PM

(03-21-2018 08:25 PM)Don Shepherd Wrote: I wouldn't say that. Other than a much faster processor, today's version is functionally equivalent to the 1981 version.

Except that it's been polluted with algebraic input Smile

Thankfully, RPN is still the default!

Don Shepherd · 03-22-2018, 02:25 AM

(03-21-2018 09:56 PM)grsbanks Wrote:
(03-21-2018 08:25 PM)Don Shepherd Wrote: I wouldn't say that. Other than a much faster processor, today's version is functionally equivalent to the 1981 version.

Except that it's been polluted with algebraic input

Thankfully, RPN is still the default!

The standard 12c is and always has been RPN only; the platinum version has algebraic for those who want that option.

**Gene** · 03-22-2018, 03:00 AM

(03-21-2018 08:25 PM)Don Shepherd Wrote: I wouldn't say that. Other than a much faster processor, today's version is functionally equivalent to the 1981 version. That is the reason it is still popular with the financial types.

Gene: I resemble that remark. ;-)

Michael de Estrada · 03-22-2018, 03:23 AM

In terms of keyboard quality, the current version is not even remotely like the original. But at least they are reasonably priced, and better than the clones like the Victor V12. You can still buy a very clean used vintage HP 12c made in the USA or Singapore for the same price as a new Chinese one.

grsbanks · 03-22-2018, 09:05 AM

(03-22-2018 03:23 AM)Michael de Estrada Wrote: In terms of keyboard quality, the current version is not even remotely like the original. But at least they are reasonably priced, and better than the clones like the Victor V12. You can still buy a very clean used vintage HP 12c made in the USA or Singapore for the same price as a new Chinese one.

If only the same were true of the HP-15C and HP-16C!!! With the 12C still in production in one form or another, the market is awash with 2nd hand units while everyone is holding onto their 15C/16C units for dear life Smile

pier4r · 03-22-2018, 05:53 PM

Hmm, I may be wrong but.... is no the 35s at least as capable as the 15c, little bugs excluded?

burkhard · 03-22-2018, 06:10 PM

It's real. If someone were going to be faking Voyager calculators, they would not pick the one that is wildly abundant and incredibly cheap to buy in the used market. There are presently over 600 for sale (in varied vintages) on the US eBay site. You can frequently get decent ones for under $20 including shipping.

Somebody else mentioned something about algebraic entry on the current models. That's only on the 12C "Platinum", not the regular 12C. The regular 12C is (I think) functionally identical with the one from 35 years ago. By "functionally identical", I mean in terms of operation. The internal architecture is completely different and the keys are for sure lower quality (printed, rather than molded labels). On the plus side, though, the new ones are a ton faster.

So, choose your favorite 12C or get one of each. They are all cheap. Considering that the "15C Limited Edition" is really a modern 12C with different firmware and key-printing, it's a pity HP didn't make a whole lot more of them. And maybe some 16Cs as well. Why not?

burkhard

Dieter · 03-22-2018, 06:53 PM

(03-22-2018 05:53 PM)pier4r Wrote: Hmm, I may be wrong but.... is no the 35s at least as capable as the 15c, little bugs excluded?

The 15C supports matrix math and it has a more complete set of complex functions. On the other hand the 35s has its advantages over the 15C, e.g. 12-digit precision and a wider domain from 1E–499 to 9,999...E+499. It's also much faster and has a much larger memory. Among other features, e.g. equation mode, an alphanumeric display, a 2D/3D vector data type, various useful functions like RMDR, INTG, XROOT and more.

Dieter

Tim Wessman · 03-22-2018, 08:00 PM

There definitely have been fake 12C units.... one made it to revision 3 of the circuit board.

**Gene** · 03-22-2018, 08:43 PM

True, but jrd (the original poster) has not really given any *reasons* for thinking the 12c he has is fake.